As we read the newspapers and watch the daily news on our TVs and on social media, we hardly get the message that our enemies should be loved and prayed for. Instead, the generally acceptable worldly response is that our enemies must be severely dealt with and punished.

However, as Christians, the response for us is clear - to follow Jesus in loving our enemies and praying for them, as God our heavenly Father causes the sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and His rain to fall on the honest and the dishonest alike. What happens when we love and pray for our enemies? We "will be'' children of our Father in heaven.

As Jesus pointed out, if as followers of Christ, we only love those who love us, we are no different from the people of the world; and if we are on positive and friendly terms only with those whom we are relationally connected with, because of our shared faith, we are no different from the rest of the world.

Therefore, Jesus presents us with the challenge to "be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect''. Jesus encourages us to be imitators of God. Imitate God in the way God loves and cares for everyone. How do we do that? Through our prayers and acts of love. Our prayers will lead us to love. Our love will lead us to pray.